Apparatus for conditioning metal bodies



11?, W4. A. .n. MILLER ET AL. 7 29m APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING METAL BODIES Filed NW. 13, l Shams-Sheet 1 mm Nov. l3, 1%;

A. J. MHLLER ET AL AIPTUS FOR CONDITIONING METAL BODIES Sheets-Sheet 2 nim'nnmmmmnnni INVENTORS ALFRED J. MILLER IVN THOMPSON AORN Aug, 11?? 31948. A. J. MILLER ET'AL APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING METAL BODIES Film Nov. l3, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INV ENTORS ALFRED J. MILLER IVAN THOMPSON Federated Aug. it?? 342% PARATUS roa connrrrom no ltfllTAL BODIES Alfred J. ltfiller, Garwood, and Ivan 3?. Thompson, Elizabeth, N. J], assignors to The Linde Air Products Qompany, a corporation of Ohio Application November 13, 1943, Serial No. 510,160

cally one or more corresponding sides of successive rectangular metal bodies such as blooms, billets, sheet bars and the like, of successively difierent sizes.

I Metal bodies are surface conditioned in various ways'such as by treating the surface with hightemperature gas flames to remove scale, and by efiecting a progressive thermochemical reaction between oxygen and a layer of surface metal to eliminate both scale and defective surface metal. The latter type of surface conditioning is termed desurfacing. In steel mills it is common practice thermochemically to desurface the sides of steel blooms and the like while they are hot and propelled longitudinallyalong a conveyor line between rolling operations. Generally, all four sides of rectangular steel bodies are desurfaced in one pass through a desurfacing machine constructed for the purpose, but it is often sufficlent only to condition two opposite sides of a steel body since in certain rolling procedures it is found that most of the defects of a deleterious nature are in the two opposite side surfaces of the body.

A desuriacing machine such as that described and claimed in United States Patent No. 2,323,974 of J. H. Bucknam and A. J. Miller is employed to desurfacethe opposite sides of steel bodies of one particular size only. If a steel body having sides of different width is to be conditioned, it is necessary to remove the entire blowpipe apparatus from the machine and substitute another blowpipe apparatus of the right size. Since blooms and the like of various sizesare usually processed in the same steel mill, a considerable loss of time results if difierent sizes of blooms are to be desurfaced by one such machine. By providing, according to the invention, a desurfacing machine in which the blowpipe apparatus is automatically adjusted to desurface different widths of surfaces, the loss of time is avoided and the rolling procedure is uninterrupted.

When desurfacing two opposite sides of a recand deviates upwardly or downwardly from-the optimum position, or if the upper corner of the steel body is rounded to a substantial degree (as is often the case), the oxygen jet of the upper nozzle will have a marked tendency to cease cut-' ting. When this happens, the jets of the lower nozzles usually stop cutting one after the others Such tendency to stop cutting is moreprevalent when the nozzles employed are of the type having slot-shaped oxygen outlet orifices, similar, for example, to those described in United States Patent 2,290,295 of A. P. Scheller. The slotted nozzle is usually preferred because a. row of such nozzles, when maintained accurately in the proper spaced relation to each other, will remove an even layer of the surface and avoid producing substantial longitudinal ridges as explained in said Patent 2,290,295. For practical reasons .the individual nozzles in a row of nozzles for operating on a side of the body are maintained in fixed relation to each other.

According to the invention, in order to provide automatic adjustment of the machine for condi-' tioning different sizes of steel bodies, it is necessary to have each row of nozzles at least as long as the width dimension of the highest steel body side to be conditioned and for desurfacing smaller bodies, to stop the supply of gas to those nozzles of each row which extend beyond the body side. Even though the lowest nozzle of each row may be maintained in accurate operating relation with respect to the lower corners of the steel body, the uppermost operating nozzles in the rows often will not be in the best relationship to the upper corners of the steel body. Thus the tendency to lose the cut will be aggravated. To completely overcome this diiliculty there is provided, adjacent each vertical row of nozzles, an auxiliary desurfacing nozzle in position to operate on the top surface of the steel body adjacent and along the upper comers. Such auxiliary nozzles preferably are of the most stable type and are maintained accurately in the bestoperating relation to the work surface by guide shoes movable independently of the main vertical rows of nozzles.

. The objects of the present invention therefore are: to provide apparatus for conditioning the corresponding side or sidesof a succession of metal bodies of different sizes; to provide app'a ratus for conditioning metal bodies of difierent sizes in which the surface onditioning gas stream applied to a surface of the bodies may be'automachine shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

either direction.

3. a tendency of the desurfacing gas streams to lose the cut; to provide apparatus for desurfacing opposite vertical sides of. successive metal bodies of different widths in which the operation of the main desurfacing gas streams is stabilized by flowing hot slag produced by an auxiliary nozzle toward the reaction zone produced by the main gas streams; to provide a conditioning machine which automatically positions gas supplying means in proper operative relation to the corresponding surfaces of successively different sizes of metal bodies; to provide a desurfacing machine in which the width of the desurfacing gas stream is automatically adjusted to correspond'to the width of the side of any one of different sizes of bodies to be conditioned; to provide a desurfacing machine for desurfacing two opposite sides of are not being desurfaced; to provide a desurfacing machine-for desurfacing a vertical side of a steel body which maintains an auxiliary metal removing nozzle in operative relation to the upper corner of the body irrespective of the width of such side; and to provide an improved desurfacing machine of the type disclosed in the aforesaid United States Patent 2,323,974,

These and other objects and novel features of 4 this invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in'which:

Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of an exemplary desurfacing machine incorporating the improvements of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the right half of the machine shown in Fi 1 with some parts removed and others broken away, more clearly to illustrate the improvements;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the right half of the Fig, 4 is a detail fragmentary view of a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig, 2;.

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view of a section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a detailed fragmentary view of a section taken along line 66 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. '1 is a side ,view taken on the line 1-1 of I Fig. 2 to show the upper surface engaging shoe and blowpipe carried thereby.

The machine illustrated in the drawings has many parts which are substantially the same as corresponding parts shown and'described in the "aforementioned United States Patent 2,323,974,

and such parts will not be described herein in detail. Such similar parts are as follows: .The

machine has two supporting columns I0, disposed on either side of a bloom conveyor line, which is not shown in the drawing. The columns are equidistant from the course of the blooms W to be conditioned which are propelled along the conveyor. A transverse connecting member I I is supported by backwardly extending links I2 from the columns II) for limited horizontal transverse movement. The member II has an opening to permit passage therethrough of the blooms. Forwardly extendinglinks I3 connect the member I I with two frames I4 disposed on either side of the path of the blooms. Each frame I4 supports a carrier I5 which is mounted on its frame I4 for horizontal transverse movement. A power cylinder I6 is connected between each frame It and corresponding carrier I5 to move the carrier in For 'counterbalancing the weight of each frame I4 and the apparatus supcorresponding frame I4 and at the other end by a rod I9 to the piston of a power cylinder 20 disposed within the respective columns I0, Air pressure applied to the rod ends of the cylinders 20 will raise the frames I4 and the mechanism thereon.

Since the two halves of the machine are substantially alike although opposite handed, the right-hand blowpipe mechanism only will be described in detail. The carrier I5 has mounted on its front face, a mounting plate 2I to the inside end of which is secured a multiple nozzle desurfacing head 22. The head 22 may consist of one, two, or more sections, two sections being illustrated. The head sections are similar to those shown and described in United States Patent 2,312,418 of A. M.'Keller, J. H. Bucknam, and A. J. Miller. Such desurfacing heads have a row of desurfacing nozzles N with outlet orifices 0 arranged in a vertical row and spaced closely enough to form in effect a single, wide, desurfacing gas stream. The outlet orifices O are preferably oval or slot-shaped and have their longer transversedimension vertical. The orifices 0 form individual sheet-like lets the edges of which blend or merge with each other to form the desired wide desurfacing stream. The desurfacing head 22 is provided with strips of abrasion resistant material 23 on the surface which engages the side of the bloom being conditioned. The lower portions of the frames I4 of the rightand left-hand units are connected by a cross member 24"which is jointed in the middle with a horizontal tongue and slot connection 24' to allow for a slight adjustment of the separation between the frames I4 as they are moved up and down simultaneously. On the cross member 24 is mounted a bearing bracket 25 which rotatably supports a guide roller 26. Such guide roller is preferably relatively narrow, is horizontall positioned approximately in the center line of the ,pathof bloom travel, and is vertically positioned on the member 24 to contact the bottom surface of the bloom at a level which is flush with the bottom sides of the heads 22.

The heads 22 have cooling chambers therein which are supplied with cooling water by water connections 21. The gases are supplied to the individual nozzles in the heads 22 by connecting tubes 28. There are two sets of tubes 28 corresponding to each nozzle, one set of tubes connects to gas mixers 29 for supplyin mixed oxygen and fuel gas to the customary small heating flame orifices of each nozzle. The gas mixers 29 are connected each by two tubes 30, to respective preheat oxygen and fuel gas manifolds 3I and 32.

the flow of oxygen to a single nozzle. Obviously one or more of the ports could be arranged to supply oxygen to more than one nozzle at a time. When the thinnest bloom that the machine is to handle is to be conditioned has a vertical thickness corresponding to,-the vertical dimension covered by six nozzles in the row of nozzles in the head 22. the selector valve 34 may be arranged upply connection 84' at its rod end to which compressed air is supplied when the boom is to be low-' ered and the shoe surface 59 is to be held in conwhich conduct the cutting oxygen to the lower six nozzles of the head 22. Th upper six ports 33 in the cylinder 35 are connected by tubes 28' in the same consecutive order with passages in the head 22 conducting oxygen to the upper six nozzles of the head 22.

Fitted within the cylinder 35 is a piston 31. It is movable lengthwise in the cylinder 35 so that asit moves downward the piston consecutively covers ports 33 to interrupt the supply of oxygen from the inlet 36 to such ports which are covered. A vertically extending rack 38 is secured to the piston 3'l for moving the piston. The rack 38 is moved by gearing indicated more clearly in Fig. 4. The teeth in the rack 38 mesh with a gear 39 secured to a horizontal shaft 40 which is journalled in bearings 3: supported by the side walls of a gear box 32. A roller 43 engaging the back of rack 38 guides the rack to maintain its teeth in proper engagement with the teeth of gear 39. One end of the shaft 30 extends rearwardly outside of the gear box 32 and carries a pinion 44 in position to mesh with a short gear segment 35 at the left end of a lever 46, the right end of which is freely pivoted on a horizontal pivot shaft 41. An intermediate point of the lever 36 is pivot-ally connected to a downwardly extending rod 48 that passes through a guide bracket 39 secured to the lower right corner of the plate 2|. The rod 48 carries near its upper end a collar 50 and loosely surrounding the rod 38 and supported by the bracket 49 is another collar Surrounding the rod 48, and between the collars, a helical compression spring 52 is provided to urge the rod 48 upwardly. The rod 48 is also provided with an adjustable stop collar 53 and lock nuts 53 On a threaded portion thereof extending below the bracket 49. The spring 52, by urging the rod 48 upwardly, swings the lever 46 upwardly and turns the pinion 43 and gear 39 so as to lift the rack 38 and piston 31 upwardly.

The amount of such upward movement however is limited by engagement of the collar 53 with the lower surface of the bracket 49 in which position the piston 31 will be at its upper limit of movement in the cylinder so that all the ports 33 will be uncovered. The end of the rack 38 which extends through and rises above the gear box 32 is provided with a tubular housing 55 to protect it.

The pivot shaft All is supported at the end of a bracket 56 extending rightwardly from the upper right corner of the mounting plate 2i. The gear box 32 is also mounted on the plate 2 I. Also pivoted on the pivot shaft 41 is a leftwardly extending hollow boom 51, the left end of which carries a surface contacting shoe 53. The shoe 58 extends downwardly from the end of the boom adjacent the billet contacting surface of the head 22 and to a point at a desired distance below the top side of the head 32. The lower end of the shoe 58 carries a bloom contacting surface 59 of wear resistant material. For raising and lowering the boom there is provided a power cylinder 63 that is pivotally mounted at its lower end to a bracket 6l depending from the mounting plate 2|.

tact with the bloom surface. At a point above the lever 66, the boom 51 is provided with a downwardly projecting screw 65, the lower end of which contacts the top of the lever 46. The screw 65 is adjusted so that any movement of the lower end 53 of the shoe 58 below the top side of the head" 22 will move the lever 46 and thereby shift the piston 87 to a position which will correspond to the position of the end 59 of the shoe. When the boom 51 and shoe 58 are retracted to an extreme upper position, the stop collar 53 on the shaft 38 will prevent excessive upward movement of the piston 31 andthe screw 65 will leave contact with the lever 43.

Even though nozzles O are spaced at fixed increments and the ports 33 are likewise spaced at fixed increments, it is possible to adjust the screw 65 so that the mechanism will automatically have the correct number of nozzles supplied with oxygen for each one of a particular series of bloom sizes even though such bloom sizes do not differ by equal increments. The upper nozzle of those which are to operate in any particular case should receive a full oxygen supply and the port 33 that controls such supply should not be only partly uncovered by'the piston 31. The space between each port however allows the lower edge of the piston to stop at any of a number of positions be-- tween the ports while still keeping the next upper port sealed. The mechanism is so arranged that the screw 65 can be adjusted to a compromise position for the smallest and largest bloom of a series of sizes so that for any one size the highest working port will be always substantially, fully open. I It is preferable therefore that the space betweeneach port 33 shall be substantially larger than the dimension of each port opening in the direction longitudinally of the cylinder 35. It will be seen therefore that the ports 33 may be round and the spaces between them relatively large, or the ports 33 may be vertically narrow and horizontally wide" and the spaces between them shorter.

In order to prevent flow of slag from the side' sure against the bottom surface at a point and in a direction which will preventthe flow of slag onto such surface. The nozzle 63 is supplied with fluid bya pipe 61 and may be mounted as shown in fixed relation to the head 22. A nozzle 68 is also provided for preventing slag accumulation on the top surface of the bloom. Such nozzle 68 is carried by the shoe 58 and is preferably mounted on the inner side of the shoe. Fluid underpres sure is supplied to the nozzle 68 by -a conduit 39.

When the bloom side is vertical it is desirable for reasons previously set forth, to apply a desurfacing gas stream against the top surface of the bloom immediately adjacent the upper corner, and for this purpose there may be mounted against the side of the shoe 58 which is nearest the head 22, a narrow single nozzle blowpipe head 13. The head 10 is constructed similarly to the head 22 except that it has only one nozzle and corresponding gas passages therefor. The head 18 has water inlet and outlet connections H and 72 for cooling water, an oxygen supply connection l3, and a mixed gas supply connection 14.

The connection M leads to a gas mixer 15 s'up-' plied by. gases from the manifolds 3| and 32, by

flexible tubes 76. The oxygen connection 13 is connected directly to the oxygen inlet 88 at TI.

The blowpipe head preferably has a nozzle N with a round outlet orifice for cutting oxygen to project a stream of oxygen obliquely against and along the upper surface of the bloom W adjacent the corner. Such stream of oxygen is maintained in accurate relation to the bloom surface by the contact surface 59 of the shoe 58, and thermochemically reacts with surface metal so as to form a hot molten slag stream that washes over the corner of the bloom and down the side 1 surface of the bloom to mingle with the slag tomarily elongated longitudinally of the billet.

The rear edge of such fluid iet however is positioned forwardly of the nozzle N' by an amount sufficient to act only on the slag stream without interfering with the reaction zone of the nozzle N. The fluid jet of nozzleiil thus begins acting at a point just in advance of the point ofimpingement of the oxygen stream from nozzl N against the bloom surface.

To prevent the heat of the blooms being desurfaced from affecting the operation of the gas mixers and to protect the mechanism, shields i8 are provided; The shields are secured to brackets 19 extending forwardly from the mounting plate 2i and to keep the shields i8 and the gas tubing behind the shields cool, water'sprays are preferably provided and supplied by {spray nozzles 80,

, ing water supply for the blowpipe heads and the sprays 80 will be turned on.

lowered, the lever 48 was pushed down to turn the pinion 4t and gear 39 which moved the rack 38 downward so as to push the piston 31 to a point which prevents oxygen flow to those nozzles N which extend above the top of the bloom W. Cutting oxygen will also flow uninterrupted to the upper nozzle N. Simultaneously with the turning on of the oxygen, the conveyor table is energized to propel the bloom W through the machine at a proper constant rate and the oxygen streams will act to progressively remove a layer of surface metal from the two sides. When the sides of the bloom W have been desurfaced, the

gases are turned oil, and the heads 22 and the shoes 58 are retracted in order to restore the machine into a condition for operating on the next bloom which may have a different width, a different height, or both a different width and height. It will be seen that the adjustment for different sizes of blooms within the range of sizes for which the machine is constructed, is entirely automatic and the desurfacing action on the sides is maintained stable irrespective of the particular vertical dimension of the bloom being desurfaced.

It will be understood that certain features of the invention may be used independently of, others i and changes may be made in various parts of the A bloom W is now moved along the conveyor line to a position such that its forward end is Just within the plane of the heads 22. Air pressure is supplied to the cylinders 20 to raise the frames it until the roller 26 engages the bottom of the bloom W. .Fluid pressure is then applied to the power cylinders IE to slide the carriers l5 and the heads 22 thereon toward the bloom W until the surfaces engage the opposite sides of the bloom. Air pressure is then released from the head ends of cylinders 60 and admitted to inlets 64' at the rod ends of cylinders 60 to lower'the shoes 58 and maintain them in contact with the top surface of the bloomW. Preheat acetylene apparatus without departing from the essentials of the invention. For example, although only the cutting oxygen supply to the vertical row of nozzles is regulated according to the height of the bloom sides, by similar arrangements the preheat oxygen and fuel gas supplies for these nozzles couldalso be regulated. It will also be understood that the metal bodies to be conditioned may be at rolling temperature as described or they may be cold.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of each of successive metal bodies such as steel billets, such side of each having different widths, said apparatus comprising means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the side to be conditioned vertical; a surface conditioning head having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply a composite surface conditioning gas stream against and completely across the vertical side of each body, the length of said row being suificient to condition the widest of said sides; means for supporting and maintaining said head in operating relation to said vertical body sides during movement of said bodies with the lower side of said head substantially flush with the lower edge of said vertical body sides; a selector said control element being arranged when 'moved to progressively, interrupt the supply Of gas through said passages starting with the passage that supplies the upper orifice of said head for varying the width of said surface conditioning gas stream; a shoe adapted to contact with the upper surface of said bodies and movable up and down according to the vertical thickness thereof; blowpipe means carried by said shoe to direct a surface conditioning gas stream against said bodies adjacent the upper edge of said side; and mechanism constructed and arranged to transmit movement of said shoeto said control element for interrupting the supply of gas to sufllcient of the-upper orifices of said head to adjust the width of said conditioning gas stream according 9 to the vertical width of the particular body side being conditioned. p

-2. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of each of successive metal bodies such as steel billets, such side of each having different widths, said apparatus comprising means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the side tobe conditioned vertical; a surface conditioning head having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply a composite surface conditioning gas stream against and completely across the vertical side of each body, the length of said row being sumcient to condition the widest of said sides; means for supporting and maintaining said head in operating relation to said vertical body sides during movement of said bodies with the lower side of said head substantially flush with the lower edge of said vertical body sides; a selector valve device having a movable control ,element; gas supply passages connecting at least the upper outlet orifices in said head with said selector valve, said control element being arranged when moved to progressively interrupt the supply of gas through said passages starting with the passage that supplies the upper orifice of said head for varying the width of said surface conditioning gas stream; a shoe adapted to contact with the upper surface of said. bodies and movable up and down according to the vertical thickness thereof; upper and lower means for applying fluid jets against the upper and against the lower surfaces of each said bodies, said jets being directed to prevent sla flow onto said upper and lower. surfaces, said lower fluid jet applying means being mounted in substantially fixed relation to said head and saidupper jet applying means being carried by said shoe for maintaining it in operating relation to the upper surface of each of said bodies; and mechanism constructed and arranged to transmit movement of said shoe to said control element for interrupting the supply of gas to sufficient of the upper orifices of said head to adjust the width of said conditioning gas stream according to the vertical width of the particular body side being conditioned.

3. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of each of successive metal bodies such as steel billets, such side of each having different widths, said apparatus comprising means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the side to be conditioned vertical; a surface conditioning head having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply a composite surface conditioning gas stream against and completely across the vertical side of each body, the length of said row being suflicient to condition the widest of said sides; means for supporting and maintaining said head in operating relation to said vertical body sides during movement of said bodies with the lower side of said head substantially flush with the lower edge of said vertical body sides, and for retracting said head to a position laterally away from the path of said body; a selector valve device having a movable control element; gas supply passages connecting at, least the upper outlet orifices in said head with said selector valve, said control element being arranged when moved to progressively interrupt the supply of gas through said passages starting with the passage that supon said carrier for upward and downward moveplies the upper orifice of said head for varying the width of said surface conditioning gas stream; a shoe adapted to contact with the upper surface of said bodies and mounted for movement up and tially above said head; and mechanism constructed and arranged to transmit the up and down movement oi. said shoe to said control element for interrupting the supply of gas to sufficient of the upper orifices of said headito adjust the width of said conditioning gas stream according to the vertical width of the particular body side being conditioned, said movement transmitting mechanism being constructed and arranged to provide for such shoe retraction to continue after said control element has reached its extreme limit of movement to a position where the passage that supplies the upper orifice in the head is uninterrupted.

4. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of each of successive metal bodies such as steel billets, such side of each having different widths, said apparatus comprising means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the side to be conditioned vertical; a surface conditioning head having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply a composite surface conditioning -gas stream against and completely across the vertical side of each body, the length of said row being sufficient to condition the widest of said sides; means for supporting and maintaining said head in operating relation to said' vertical body sides, said means including a horizontally retractible carrier for carrying said head and retracting said head to a position laterally away from its operating position; a, shoe adapted to engage the upper s'uri' ace of said bodies and pivotally mounted ment about the axis of said pivot; power means on said carrier for moving said shoe upwardly about said pivot axis'to a retracted position above said head; a valving device operable to shut ofl the gas supply to'at least such gas outlet orifices,

in the row that are above the side of the smallest body to be conditioned; and mechanism connected between said shoe and said valving device for automatically operating the same to shut off the gas supply to those gas outlet orifices'that are above the side of a particular body being desurfaced when said shoe is in contact with the upper surface of such body.

5. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of each of successive metal bodies such as steel billets, such side of each having different widths, said apparatus comprising means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the side to be conditioned vertical; a surface conditioning head having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply a composite surface conditioning gas stream against and completely across the Vertical side of each body, the length of said row being sufficient to condition the widest of said sides; means for supporting and maintaining said head in operating relation to said vertical body sides durin movement of said bodies with the lower side of said head substantially flush with the lower edge of said vertical body sides, said means including a horizontally retractible carrier for carrying said head and retracting said head to a position laterally away from its operating position; a body engaging shoe; a pivot connecting said shoe to said carrier; power means on said carrier for moving said shoe upwardly about 'the axis of said pivot to a retracted position above said head; a selector valve device having a movable control element; gas supply passages conr 11 r nesting at least the upper outlet orifices in said head with said selector valve, said control element being arranged when moved to progressively interrupt the supply of gas through said passages starting with the passage that supplies the upper orifice of said head for varying the'width of said surface conditioning gas stream; and mechanism for moving said control element including means for urging said control element toward the position where all said passages are uninterrupted, and a member connected to move with said shoe for acting in opposition to said urging means so as to move said control element for progressively interrupting said orifice supply passages as said shoe is lowered beyond the upper side of said head.

6. Apparatus for conditioning opposite sides of each of a succession of rectangular metal bodies of the same or different cross-sectional dimensions which comprises means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with. the sides to be conditioned vertical; a pair of surface conditioning heads each having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet orifices arranged to apply composite surface conditioning gas streams against and completely across such opposite sides, the length of each row being suflicient to condition the sides of the vertically thickest body to be treated; mechanism for supporting said heads in an operating position with respect to said opposite sides of said bodies, said mechanism being constructed and arranged for adjusting the separation between said heads according to the horizontal width of the body being conditioned, for maintaining the lower sides of said heads substantially flush with the bottom of said bodies, and for retracting said heads away from each other to a non-operating position; a pair of shoes movably mounted on said mechanism having surface contacting portions movable below the upper sides of said heads for eng'aging'the top surface of said bodies; a. blowpipe means carried by each of said shoes in position to apply a surface conditioning gas stream against the upper surface of the bodies and along the upper longitudinal corners thereof; and selector valve devices operableby movement of said shoes below the upper sides of said heads for selectively preventing flow of gas to the orifices of said heads beginning with the upper orifices and thereby automatically adjusting the width of said surface conditioning gas streams according to the vertical thickness of the body to be treated. a

7. Apparatus for conditioning oppositesides of each of a succession of rectangular metal bodies of the same or different cross-sectional dimensions which comprises means for supporting and longitudinally propelling said bodies with the sides to be conditioned vertical; a, pair of surface conditioning heads .each having a substantially vertical row of gas outlet-orifices arranged to apply composite surface conditioning gas streams against and completely across such opposite sides, the length of each row being 'sufficient to condition the sides of the vertically thickest body to be treated; mechanism for supporting said heads in an operating position with respectto said opposite sides of said bodies, said mechanism being constructed and arranged for adjusting the sepa- 12 movably mounted on said mechanism having surface contacting portions movable below the upper sides of said heads for engaging the, top surface of said bodies; a nozzle means carried by each of said shoes in position for impinging slag controlling fiuid jets against the upper surface of said bodies; and selector valve devices operable by movement of said shoes below the upper sides of the body to be treated.

8. Apparatus for conditioning at least one longitudinal side of a series of metal bodies of different widths which comprises means for supporting i and longitudinally propelling said bodies; a surface conditioning head having a row of gas outlets arranged to apply a. composite-surface conditioning stream against and completely across said sides, the length of the row being enough to condition the widest of such sides; mechanism supporting said head in operating position adjacent said sides; a selector valve having a cylinder, a gas inlet at one end, a valve element working longitudinally in said cylinder, and a row of ports spaced lengthwise along said cylinder to be successively cut off by said valve element, the spacing between said ports being substantially greater than the transverse dimension of said ports ion-- gitudinally of said cylinder; connections for conducting gas from said ports to said gas outletsp a shoe positioned to contact an adjacent surface of said bodies and mounted for movement trans-'- versely of said body sides according'to the width of said body sides; and mechanism connecting said shoe to said-valve element constructed 'andarranged for automatically positioning said valve element in accordance with the widthof the body side to be conditioned, said mechanism havinglnterposed therein an adjusting device for-presclecting the position relativeto said ports to which said mechanism shifts said valve element to insure that, for a givenseries of body sizes, the valve element willalways'beinn-position where the ports corresponding to thegas outlets which-are to receive gas-willlbe fully-open,

. ALFRED JwMIL-LER.

IVAN 1?.- THOMPSON.

REFERENCES orrEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 936,716 Haeske Oct. 12, 1909 2,102,040- I Slade 14, 1937 2,168,581 Pufahl et al Aug. 8,'193'9 2,189,753 Bucknam et al. Feb. 13, 1940 2,215,577 Bucknam Sept. 24, 1940 2,228,114 Hess Jan. '1, 1941 2,276,329 Miller et al.- Mar. 17, 1942 2,287,103 Jones Jan; 23,1942- 2,288,027 Scheller June 30, 1942 2,290,290 Meincke July 21, 1942 2,295,523 Bucknam et al. Sept. 8,1942 2,306,370 Anderson Dec. 29, 1942 2,308,646 Chelborg Jan. 19,1948 2,323,977 Chelbo'rg et al July 13, 1943 2,309,128 McGuire Jan. 26, 1943 2,325,106 Bucknam 2 July- 27, 1943' 2,429326 Miller et al. Oct. 21, 1947- 

